Are you skipping Windows 8?

[KentState]

Well, I decided to give 8 another try and it was very frustrating. How long should someone have to suffer through an OS experience before they can productive? What's the de facto Start Button app right now?

 

[Wyndru]

Well, I decided to give 8 another try and it was very frustrating. How long should someone have to suffer through an OS experience before they can productive? What's the de facto Start Button app right now?

Well MS basically self excluded this os (in its current form) from the corporate world, so in my opinion its just another in-between prototype os to see what the masses think before they roll out a more refined one. Just like ME and Vista were.

I'll pass on this one.

It's hilarious that people are actually paying for and installing 3rd party software to modify the UI on this os, just to make it work like the previous version. That's dedication.

 

[ImDonly1]

Well, I decided to give 8 another try and it was very frustrating. How long should someone have to suffer through an OS experience before they can productive? What's the de facto Start Button app right now?

Start8 for $5 with a month free trial or
Free then Classic Shell and a theme like this
http://www.askvg.com/download-class...ike-start-menu-and-start-button-in-windows-8/

 

[HeXen]

Maybe you're right, by default it was horrible. My Mistake





Desktop version bro, and what's worse, on that particular page, the IE compatibility mode button disappears.


Try it for yourself, create an account and try to login:

http://www.manpower-me.com/




1) I don't care how things are done in Linux

2) This never happens when UAC is off in Vista or 7

3) If I disable UAC, I expect to be in full control with no further nags from the OS

4) Something is seriously wrong or different with the Windows 8 UAC

5) After MS had fixed the quirks of UAC coming from Vista, now they spoiled it again with more nag screens




I've seen that guide I can g00gl3, but the point is, why do I have to dig thorugh and change Registry entries when this menu was in every darn OS, XP, Vista, 7, you name it...





2 hours in 3 attempts, everytime I get this "Cum Surrogate has stopped working error" or the icons start turning into blank white icons, I used to get fed up...

then a few weeks pass and I see people happy with Windows 8 and raving about it, so I try again, same old story happens and this is on a clean install with Windows 8 official drivers from ASUS for my notebook and all Windows updates. until...I finally gave up on this crap...

Why would I need an OS that I need to convert into a 7 like OS? ie...install Start 8, fiddle with the registry to get some settings...etc.... I'd rather just have 7 thank you




Nice attempt from them, but huge fail....thanks to Balmer




Wish they had those under teh h00d changes BUT with a choice of 2 OS flavors...Windows 8 for tablets, and Windows 8 for normal computers

The only thing I like and must commend Windows 8 on is the fast boot speed. Other than that..NADA




I did try Linux then when I had a hard time installing Firefox and I had to enter code and shit, I got rid of that junk

Windows 7 FTW

lol at the excuses. don't tell me, i don't give a chit what you use but you should try harder in life

 

[deadken]

Typically, I skip every other Windows O/S:

Win 98 / 98SE was fine, a real nice O/S

WinME was horrible

WinXP was just wonderful!

Vista was trash (although, I hear it got better after the updates)

Win7 is a nice solid XP replacement

Win8... Well, I'm skipping on this one just like I did Vista, etc...

 

[Chaotic42]

I did try Linux then when I had a hard time installing Firefox and I had to enter code and shit, I got rid of that junk

Windows 7 FTW

apt-get install iceweasel

 

[Mem]

Typically, I skip every other Windows O/S:



Win 98 / 98SE was fine, a real nice O/S

WinME was horrible

WinXP was just wonderful!

Vista was trash (although, I hear it got better after the updates)

Win7 is a nice solid XP replacement

Win8... Well, I'm skipping on this one just like I did Vista, etc...

My verdict,
Dos 6.22 I loved ,not bloated like Windows and you just needed to learn DOS commands,I know a lot of users would find it too hard nowadays lol....

Win3.11 I did not like,was a DOS fan enough said.

Win95 was a lot better then 3.11 and was probably the first Windows by Microsoft I liked.

Win98/98SE were fine.

WinME did not use it much at all and could not see any real improvements over 98SE,however was not keen on WinME at all.

XP was a good OS but full of security holes,I also had a lot of driver issues in early days,more then I ever did with any other Microsoft OS,however not really XP's fault.

Vista was a very good OS (shame it got a lot of FUD plus companies lazy to release drivers, also had OEM companies shipping PC hardware with Vista below its recommended specs).I had 3 years of happy gaming on Vista including beta games testing .

Win7 based on Vista with improvements in speed(drivers had also matured by then,as well as newer hardware available)...Again I had happy few years on Win7 just like Vista.

Win8 an improvement on Win7 ie speed and other areas plus easy to use if you can be bothered to use the OS for more then a day,again no issues for me ie drivers, gaming,software,stability,speed etc...

My verdict Microsoft have made improvements on every OS since XP(some minor others major).
I look forward to Win9 and Win10 and laugh at all those that skip an OS ie good ,bad,good ,bad etc... ,pure crap and FUD IMHO.

 

[unokitty]

After XP, I went with Linux Mint on my desktops. Though, I run Windows 7 on my Thinkpad.

Skipped Windows Vista. Will skip Windows 8.

My perception is that the first new version of any Windows Operating System is a Beta that customers have to pay for... Though, the second version, i.e. XP or 7, seem to work okay.

Likely, when they come out with Windows 8.1, I'll look at it again. Though, Linux and Android are becoming more compelling as well...

While Microsoft is a company with a wealth of resources, they don't seem to have a history of translating those resources into compelling products. From my point of view their future doesn't look nearly as bright as their past.

If they can make a compelling product, I'll have no problems using it... But I'm past the point where I'm going to pay, with money or time, to be one of their Beta testers.

Uno

 

[Wyndru]

I look forward to Win9 and Win10 and laugh at all those that skip an OS ie good ,bad,good ,bad etc... ,pure crap and FUD IMHO.

And that's good, because MS needs consumers like you to keep the cash flowing, and provide feedback on the products. This feedback is important especially for the corporate world who usually wait until they see a product suitable and well reviewed. Most companies I have associated with skipped Vista all together, and I'm glad they did. Not because it was a bad OS (after SP1 it was actually quite good) but because companies don't want to touch something that the consumer market shunned. If people hate it at home, they will hate it even more at work, and complain about every little thing. Also, companies don't want to have to change their OS's every year, and at the time Vista was getting battered in the reviews XP was running great (and was still fully supported by MS), so why change? I think the same thing will happen with Windows 8.

Aside from the public reaction of Windows 8, right now none of the school districts that I work for will even consider Windows 8, primarily because it is a touch-based UI and it has no place on a non-touch capable device. And there is no way in hell they would upgrade the hardware for everyone, and buying a piece of software to basically downgrade it to windows 7 is a joke.

 

[Mem]

And that's good, because MS needs consumers like you to keep the cash flowing, and provide feedback on the products. This feedback is important especially for the corporate world who usually wait until they see a product suitable and well reviewed. Most companies I have associated with skipped Vista all together, and I'm glad they did. Not because it was a bad OS (after SP1 it was actually quite good) but because companies don't want to touch something that the consumer market shunned. If people hate it at home, they will hate it even more at work, and complain about every little thing. Also, companies don't want to have to change their OS's every year, and at the time Vista was getting battered in the reviews XP was running great (and was still fully supported by MS), so why change? I think the same thing will happen with Windows 8.

Aside from the pubic reaction of Windows 8, right now none of the school districts that I work for will even consider Windows 8, primarily because it is a touch-based UI and it has no place on a non-touch capable device. And there is no way in hell they would upgrade the hardware for everyone, and buying a piece of software to basically downgrade it to windows 7 is a joke.

I'm not saying people should change or upgrade,I know a lot of places that still use XP,my point is pure FUD about the skipping cycle,ie bad,good,bad ,good etc...however if Microsoft go on a yearly upgrade that they might do,see here http://www.theverge.com/2012/11/28/3693368/windows-blue-update-low-cost ,not sure if I'll be upgrading every year,no point in spending money on new OS every year IMHO(three cycle seems fine to me),besides I only use Windows for gaming, got good old Linux on my other PC as well.

However knowing me curiosity etc will get better of me and I'll probably upgrade if the price is low like Win8,besides getting a bit bored with Win8 now,once you know the OS and got it running sweet nothing really new to learn until next OS arrives.

 

[dagamer34]

Typically, I skip every other Windows O/S:

Win 98 / 98SE was fine, a real nice O/S

WinME was horrible

WinXP was just wonderful!

Vista was trash (although, I hear it got better after the updates)

Win7 is a nice solid XP replacement

Win8... Well, I'm skipping on this one just like I did Vista, etc...

If you're calling Windows Vista trash, then I don't see how XP can get a pass. It was security hell, especially when it first shipped. And you want to know the reason why people put up with it now? They got used to it!

"WTF is this colorful fruity UI? I want my old Windows back!!!" Do you want to know what's wrong with this statement? People are saying about Windows 8 in 2012, but they also said it about Windows XP in 2001. They also said that businesses would NEVER switch and would stick with Windows 2000 forever and ever (that never happened).

An interesting article to read: http://www.zdnet.com/windows-8-is-the-new-xp-7000006095/

The actual truth is that most people and businesses upgrade operating systems because they have to, not because they want to. Whether it's because of getting a new computer, or software no longer being supported with new versions, I cannot remember the last time regular users actually clamored for a new version of Windows (maybe Windows 95?). Software isn't exciting, software isn't sexy. Hardware is.

 

[lakedude]

This made me laugh. I'd be willing to bet that you'd find VERY few people who would agree that XP's interface is better than W7.

XP's interface was better in several ways I can think of. I'm not sure why M$ thinks it is okay to remove features that already exist...

1) I miss the "UP" button. Yes I know you can jump up the path but I want a darn up button!

2) Selecting files with the mouse is a pain, not enough space between the icons. Stupid W7 thinks I want to drag one file but I really want to do a group select.

3) I prefer the XP style buttons on the taskbar, when you could easily get another instance of your program running with just a click.

Really the main reason I run W7 is the seamless 32/64 bit integration.

 

[N4g4rok]

As long as i can still get Windows 7 when i put a new build together, i'll stick with it. I've got a Surface RT coming in however. I'm guessing that still counts.

 

[happysmiles]

Windows Blue.

I only use laptops now and going to upgrade August next year, if by then Win Blue has a release date within the next few months then I may wait for it.

I like Win 8 but not enough to live with it.

 

[Rhonda the Sly]

- Even when UAC is disabled, every time I want to copy or move a file, I have to answer a security question whether I am sure I want to continue! It takes me double the work to do anything now

- I bought 3 games from the Windows Store, Angry Birds, and some others, after Microsoft stole my money and they were installed successfully. I couldn't for the life of me find them, they were not in the usual Games section in the start menu, that was empty with nothing, not even Solitaire in there, and I couldn't even add the games from the "Programs and Features" section as you would in Windows 7.

It can't help you now but...
1.) Windows 8 doesn't disable UAC through the UI, it's just turning down some of the settings. The reason for that is that Windows Store apps rely on UAC to enforce the parameters of their appcontainers. If UAC is off, the apps fail to launch.

2.) As these apps are Store apps they won't appear in either Programs and Features or the Games folder, only on Start or XBox, if they're XBox Live capable. Newly downloaded apps should tacked on at the end of your Start Screen. I don't have a Windows 8 ISO, only my native install, which I'm not mucking around with, so I can't test this in a VM but I suspect that maybe the interaction between Windows and Start8 caused some confusion.

The problem with MS is you can't rely on them, they drop anything at the tip of a hat for no reason. like abandoning DS for instance, it was optional, no reason to just drop it like that from future OS's.

The issue with DreamScenes, I believe, was that it was licensed from another company which required licensing fees. Given the abysmal uptake Ultimate and it's sometimes lackluster performance, I don't see why they wouldn't drop it, from their perspective.

 

[nOOky]

Installed Windows 8 on the laptop last night, along with a new SSD. The laptop had Vista Home Premium on it, which was still working fine for me. I figured I'd spend more time with it on the laptop before I considered moving our two Win 7 desktops over to Win 8.
I find it suitable for laptop use, it makes it feel fresher and faster. I'm still getting used to the interface, but I'll figure it out.
I intend to maybe download the Windows 8 upgrade for our other machines, and just copy the image to an iso and wait to install it until a later date.
I really don't see a reason to upgrade a Win 7 machine though if it's working fine and does everything you need. I can certainly see a service release pack coming out and "fixing" quite a few things.

 

[deadken]

Whatever you guys want to do with your money and your computers is fine with me. But, to say the only reason I skip every other O/S release is Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt is wrong. Perhaps I did a poor job of explaining it, but is certainly isn't FUD on my part.

I know that Win8 isn't very costly to buy and that is great. It is very different compared to the previous releases where you needed to spend $100+ for a O/S. At over $100, if it really doesn't much of anything for me, I'd rather spend my money elsewhere.

Now, let's not forget that most everyone uses their PCs differently. So, what works for me could very well be different for you.

Saying "The actual truth is that most people and businesses upgrade operating systems because they have to, not because they want to." to a guy who typically feels it only necessary to "upgrade" every other cycle just cements my opinions. Buy every cycle if you MUST. If you don't HAVE to, then skip a generation spend the money elsewhere.

 

[HeXen]

The issue with DreamScenes, I believe, was that it was licensed from another company which required licensing fees. Given the abysmal uptake Ultimate and it's sometimes lackluster performance, I don't see why they wouldn't drop it, from their perspective.

MS selected Stardock to create dreamscenes content videos. Discovery was selected to provide pictures.
Stardock later created an extension application called Deskscapes to provide more features and to be sold as a 3rd party application. MS changed dreamscene to just provide changing wallpapers with no video support...they wouldn't be out anything to include it. Video support was dropped because of battery life on laptops...my point is however that it was an optional feature, not on by default and no real reason to take it out.

 

[Kingbee13]

XP's interface was better in several ways I can think of. I'm not sure why M$ thinks it is okay to remove features that already exist...

1) I miss the "UP" button. Yes I know you can jump up the path but I want a darn up button!

2) Selecting files with the mouse is a pain, not enough space between the icons. Stupid W7 thinks I want to drag one file but I really want to do a group select.

3) I prefer the XP style buttons on the taskbar, when you could easily get another instance of your program running with just a click.

Really the main reason I run W7 is the seamless 32/64 bit integration.

1. windows 8 has the up button again, rejoice

2. I can't disagree with this, but I use shift + click to select multiple files

3. not sure I understand this but middle click does launch a new instance of a program

 

[lakedude]

1. windows 8 has the up button again, rejoice

2. I can't disagree with this, but I use shift + click to select multiple files

3. not sure I understand this but middle click does launch a new instance of a program

1) Heck yeah! That is one good thing about W8...

2) Shift click helps, thanks, but it was easier in XP IMO

3) OK that works, thanks!

Just got a W8 laptop and I'm not really happy at all with W8. Watched some videos so I knew about going to the corner or hitting windows-c but man what a pain in the neck. Maybe I'll get accustomed to it?

 

[minixjt]

At first I didn't like windows 8. After a lot of tile rearrangements and adding quite a few programs to the start menu I'm finding myself enjoying the ui more.

 

[zerogear]

1. windows 8 has the up button again, rejoice

2. I can't disagree with this, but I use shift + click to select multiple files

3. not sure I understand this but middle click does launch a new instance of a program

Shift-Click also does new instance as well, just FYI.

 

[Kingbee13]

Shift-Click also does new instance as well, just FYI.

Ahh cool, good to know if I have no middle button, like a trackpad

 

[airdata]

I'm definitely skipping Windows 8.

I thought Windows 7 was... and still is awesome. There's no need to reboot operating systems every year.

Same reason I am not going to buy any modern warfare franchise games ever again... If you put out a product you need to support it. Heck... Windows 7 is really just Windows Vista SP2.

But so many people had bad vista experiences they decided to pretend it was a totally new OS. I'll run windows 7 til the wheels fall off. Have had very few problems if any with it compared to previous versions of windows.

 

[HeXen]

But so many people had bad vista experiences they decided to pretend it was a totally new OS. I'll run windows 7 til the wheels fall off. Have had very few problems if any with it compared to previous versions of windows.

Vista was a new OS. Most of the "bad experiences" were 3rd party drivers, apps or the lack of compatability